The ERRC programs
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 19:28:37 -0700
Subject: The ERRC programs
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
The ERRC programs
The European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) distributed the following
information:
The ERRC is an international initiative directed at monitoring the human
rights situation of Roma and providing legal defense in cases of human
rights abuse.
Please find enclosed information about the following ERRC programs:
- Grants for legal Representation
- Institutional Grants
- ERRC Internship Program
- Local Monitors of the ERRC
The ERRC would be most grateful for your support in distributing this
information to the appropriate individuals and/or organizations. Please
do not hesitate to apply for programs applicable to you or your
organization or to contact us for further information. Thank you for
your time.
Sincerely,
Dimitrina Petrova
Executive Director
--------------------
Grants for legal Representation
Under the Legal Representation Grant Program, the ERRC will provide
funding to attorneys or organisations to cover expenses incurred in the
course of litigation in concrete cases involving violation of he rights
of Roma. Covered expenses can include lawyers' fees, lawyers' travel
expenses, court costs and closely related expenditures on the case. The
Legal Representation Grant Program is designed to support litigation,
not simply fact finding, documentation and reporting of information.
In awarding legal representation grants, the ERRC acknowledges that the
interest of the client is paramount. The ERRC will not interfere with
the attorney-client relations.
Eligibility
The recipient of a legal representation grant must be an attorney who
has initiated or is initiating legal action on behalf of, or in defense
of, Romani clients. Attorneys may apply for a legal representation grant
directly or through an organisation with which they are affiliated.
Grant funds may not be used to pay fees for work undertaken, or
reimburse costs incurred, before an application is filed with ERRC.
Application materials
Application materials must be in English and must include, for each
case:
1. A description of the facts and the legal status of the case, and an
an outline of the legal strategy which is to be pursued.
2. Any relevant court documents (i.e. complaint, indictment or other
charging instrument, court judgment and sentense).
3. A document proving that the attorney to whom the grant is to be
directed, has been duly authorised by the client to act on his behalf.
4. A budget of likely expenses.
Criteria
In evaluating grant applications, the ERRC takes into consideration a
number of factors, including:
a) Whether the case raises an issue of general public importance with
respect to the protection of the rights of Roma.
b) Whether the case constitutes a particularly grave violation of human
rights.
c) The quality of legal representation to be afforded.
d) The potential for publicity about the case to serve a wider
educational purpose.
Applications should be sent to:
The Executive Director
European Roma Rights Center
H-1525 Budapest 114
P.O.Box 10/24, Hungary
--------------------
Scholarships for Romani students of law
The ERRC offers scholarships to eligible Romani students of law.
Scholarships normally cover tuition at accredited law schools, books and
fees, and miscellaneous expenses related to legal education. In
exceptional cases, the ERRC will also cover accommodation. Criteria for
selection include academic promise, financial need and a demonstrated
intention of working in the field of human rights. Recipients of
scholarships are required to submit a report at the end of each semester
to the ERRC indicating their progress. Scholarships are for a maximum
duration of one year. Successful recipients are not guaranteed
scholarships for the following year, they must reapply to the ERRC.
Application procedure
Each candidate for ERRC legal scholarships should submit the following:
1. A letter of acceptance from an accredited law school.
2. An itemised budget showing law school expenses (tuition, books, fees,
etc.) which cannot be covered by sources other than an ERRC scholarship.
3. A personal statement expressing interest in the ERRC scholarship.
Optional supporting material such as samples of written work or
published articles may also be included.
4. Though optional, it is preferred that candidates submit the name,
title, and contact number/address of at least one person who can
recommend them. This can be former secondary school teachers, local
community leaders etc.
5. At some point during the scholarship period, recipients of ERRC legal
scholarships are expected to perform a) human rights outreach work in
Romani communities or b) a summer human rights internship arranged by or
in co-operation with the ERRC.
Scholarship applications will be considered in two cycles, corresponding
to teh academic calendar. For the 1997-98 academic year, deadlines for
submission of applications are as follows... (passed deadlines omitted -
B.): For the spring semester 1998, all aplications must be eceived at
the ERRC in Budapest not later than November 30, 1997.
Further information available upon request. Please address all
applications for and questions on the ERRC scholarships program to:
Ms. Nidhi Trehan
Educational Coordinator
European Roma Rights Center
H-1525 Budapest 114
P.O.Box 10/24, Hungary
E-mail address: [email protected]
--------------------
The ERRC Internship program
The ERRC offers internships to Romani persons interested in human
rights, research and/or human rights law. The primary goal of the
internship program is to train Romani individuals in human rights work.
There are two types of internships:
1. Internships at the ERRC in Budapest: Interns work on a specific
project in the ERRC office supervised by ERRC staff. Since the working
language at the ERRC is English, it is preferred that Budapest-based
interns have a sufficient command of English.
2. Internships at partner NGOs arranged and sponsored by the ERRC. The
duration of the internships will normally be between two and nine
months.
For both internships programs, a final written report will be expected
from the intern upom completion of the internship.
Further information available upon request. Please address all
applications for and questions on the ERRC internships to:
Ms. Nidhi Trehan
Educational Coordinator
European Roma Rights Center
H-1525 Budapest 114
P.O.Box 10/24, Hungary
E-mail address: [email protected]
--------------------
Local Monitors of the ERRC
The ERRC is currently developing a network of local monitors in
countries around Europe, to report regularly to the ERRC on the human
rights situation of Roma. The local monitors submit reports every 1-2
weeks to the ERRC. These reports contain short descriptions, usually a
paragraph or two, of news events affecting the Roma community that have
taken place over the past week or two locally.
Although these reports can contain cultural information (i.e.,
announcements of new Roma organizations, festivals, theaters, etc.), the
focus of these reports is primarily human rights violations:
- episodes of community violence against Roma by non-Roma;
- instances of violence against Roma ba authorities (police, the
military, etc);
- other instances of violence against Roma;
- cases of discrimination against Roma (i.e. when Roma are treated
differently than non-Roma because they are or are perceived to be Roma),
including in the criminal justice system, schools, housing, health
services, etc.;
- hate-speech against Roma in the media;
- the failure of authorities to provide adequate facilities
(infrastructure, water, roads) to Roma;
- the failure of authorities to provide adequate protection to Roma;
- the failure of authorities to provide legal redress to Roma when their
rights are violated, etc.
The local monitors draw on various resources in providing regular
reports to the ERRC. Many local correspondents begin work for the ERRC
by simply summarizing articles from the local press in which Roma are
mentioned. They aim, however, to:
- maintain regular contact with Roma, Roma organizations and the local
Roma press;
- translate articles from the local press about Roma or about anti-Roma
actions by the state or by various groups;
- use basic reporting skills to carry out preliminary investigations
into cases of human rights violations as they happen.
The local monitors have proved to be an excellent resources to the ERRC.
First of all, they have provided the initial information necessary in
the process of legal assistance to Roma - we wouldn't know about human
rights violations against Roma without local monitors. Secondly, local
monitors have been the basis for our intensive field missions to various
countries: because local monitors are already there, and have been
providing the ERRC with regular news, field missions have been able to
go straight to important issues and (with the help of the local
monitor), conduct intensive research over a short period of time.
If you are interested in becoming a local correspondents for the ERRC,
please send a preliminary report, with contact information, to:
Research Department
European Roma Rights Center
H-1525 Budapest 114
P.O.Box 10/24, Hungary
or fax it to: (36-1) 138-3727
The preliminary report should contain some or all elements that would
normally make up a weekly report by a local correspondent:
1. A summary of articles about Roma from the local press;
2. Brief description(s) of recent case(s) of human rights violations
against Roma;
3. Other news from the Roma community.
Preliminary reports which conform to the standards of the ERRC often
lead to employment by the European Roma Rights Center.
=========================================================================
MINELRES - a forum for discussion on minorities in Central&Eastern
Europe
Submissions: [email protected]
Subscription/inquiries: [email protected]
List archive: http://www.riga.lv/minelres/archive.htm
=========================================================================